Welcome, bmacpolo !!

[YellowRose]

Welcome to Squarebirds, bmacpolo! Brian hales from California and owns a 1959 Tbird. We always enjoy seeing pictures of our new users Tbird. As a Paid Member if you have anything you want to share with us you can post attachments directly on our server. To become one, have a PayPal account and click on the DONATE TO SITE link under the Tbird logo. It will take you to the PayPal link. You have two options, pay through PayPal or pay by Debit or Credit Card. If you do not have a PayPal account, see the Membership Benefits & Webspace Information post in the Announcements section of the Forum on how to pay by check. To post attachments as an unpaid user you can create an account on one of the free picture hosting websites, upload your pictures of your Tbird there and post the link to them in Our Rides Forum. Or you can send them to me, Ray Clark ~ YellowRose, John Pizzi ~ jopizz, or Dave Dare, our webmaster ~ simplyconnected and we will post them for you. We have the greatest Tbird Techies from around the world on here. If you need help with your Tbird post away in the 1958-1960 Squarebirds Forum. I would recommend that you save my phone number should you ever need to contact me. Should you have any problems navigating our Forum, please contact me, John or Dave. His phone number is 248-544-8834. Enjoy The Journey!

[Dan Leavens]

Brian also welcome to our truly international site where you will find some off the most knowledgeable birders around. Ask any questions answer where you can and participate often Great to see another 59 survivor and is she registered in the TBird registry on our site?

[bmacpolo]

Thank you so much I really appreciate it! I have not checked the registry yet. I've been reading so much already and its overwhelming, ill try to get everything set up today!

[YellowRose]

Brian, if you click on the Technical Resource Library link in the Green banner, bring it up and push the Ctrl button on your keyboard AND the letter F (for Find). Type in Thunderbird Registry and it will take you to the John Rotella Thunderbird Registry. Click on the link to check and see if your Tbirds VIN Number is in his registry. Enter the VIN # and IF someone had added it to his registry in the past, it will show you the entry, the registry number, and the information they had on the car at the time of entry. If it is NOT listed, you can click on the other link and register it as being the new owner of it. You will have to enter the VIN # and the Data info off the Data Plate. You can also upload a picture of it. If you have any questions, call me.

[bmacpolo]

Brian, if you click on the Technical Resource Library link in the Green banner, bring it up and push the Ctrl button on your keyboard AND the letter F (for Find). Type in Thunderbird Registry and it will take you to the John Rotella Thunderbird Registry. Click on the link to check and see if your Tbirds VIN Number is in his registry. Enter the VIN # and IF someone had added it to his registry in the past, it will show you the entry, the registry number, and the information they had on the car at the time of entry. If it is NOT listed, you can click on the other link and register it as being the new owner of it. You will have to enter the VIN # and the Data info off the Data Plate. You can also upload a picture of it. If you have any questions, call me.

When I first got the bird I tried to decode the data plate and the trim code isn't an actual code so I believe it was an error. Its a re-manufactured plate which is a bummer but a start. I'm also wondering if the paint code is wrong.

[jopizz]

It looks like an original plate to me. Code 5X is light blue/dark blue vinyl. Color code L is Diamond blue. Here are links to all the trim and paint codes.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1959interiortrim.html

http://automotivemileposts.com/paint1959tbird.html

John

[YellowRose]

I see that John was doing the same thing I was, breaking down your VIN # and Data Plate for ya! Yessss, that looks to be the original Data Plate, NOT a re-manufactured one. Here is what I was writing while John was, and it agrees with what he said...

1959 VIN # H9YH147116= the 47,116th Tbird made that year. Ford always started with a 1 back then. Two thirds of the way through the 1959 production run.

Body 63A=2Dr Hardtop, Color L=Diamond Blue, Trim 5X=Dark Blue/Light Blue Vinyl Bolsters & Inserts, Date 28E=28 May 1959-Projected (may not be the actual date of production. The Rotation/Build Sheet can tell you that if you can find it), If you ever have the seats out, look in the back rest or seat springs. The date on the ROT/Build Sheet is the ACTUAL date it was made. The Data Plate date is the "projected" date they thought it might be made. Sometimes it was, but often they were behind or ahead of schedule and the ROT/Build Sheet date they actually built the car on would be correct. Trans 4=Cruise-O-Matic, Axle1=3.10.

Here is an original 1959 Tbird Data Plate from a Convertible with a J Code 430MEL engine in it. As you can see it looks the same as yours does. I don't know why you thought yours was a re-production. Perhaps because you could not find the 5X Trim listing, but as you can see, it certainly is listed on Automotive Mile Posts.

Here is a website that might be helpful to you. I see John gave you the other links to it. If you have the time, call me as I can tell you a lot more things about your 1959, having owned one for 12 years.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird...lections.shtml